Attachment for spark plugs



' Oct. 30, 1928.

D. L. WINTERS ATTACHMENT FOR SPARK PLUGS Filed April 12. 1925 4 II III 04 W0 M/vrmes Patented Oct. 30, 1928 u NITED S A PATENT "QF FI CEQ.

nAvIn nwiN-T'ERS, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR SPARK PLUGS.

Application fired April 12, 1926. Serial No. 101,491.

' My'invention relates generally to spark plugs as used for igniting a charge of fuel in thev cylinders of an internal combustion englne, and a purpose of my lnvention is the provision of? a simply constructed durable and, inexpensiveattachment for spark plugs which is primarily intended to replace the usual grounded point of the plug. In the conventional spark plug, it is the general practice to fixedly secure the grounded point to the inner end of the shell and this point is usually constructed from a short length of wire bent into substantially L-? shaped form with one end spaced from the central or insulated point to provide the necessary spark gap. This construction has many outstanding disadvantages, among which are that it does not readilyfree itselt from Oll, hence permittmg theaccumulatlon of carbon; the correct amount .of gap between the points is not maintained, as the eroding efi'ect of the spark is confined to an to a plug and delivers a uniform spark regardless of engine temperature, to thus pro- -.vide athoroughly reliable and elficient spark plug. 'Another purpose'of my invention is the provision of a device of the above character which is soconstructedthat the spark gap is automaticallyincreased or decreased accordingly as the temperature of the engine increases or decreases, this constructionpermitting the points. to be initially adjusted very close to facilitate easy startingof the engin'evwhen the voltage of the battery during turning over of the engine is too low to jump a wider gap, and at the same time ignite agreater portion of the fuel. charge thanis possible with the conventional points.

- 'Iwill describeonlytwo formsof; attach- -ments for spark plugs and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims,

In the accompanying'drawings: Figure 1 is a view showingpartly'in s de elevation and partly in section a conventionalspark plug with one form of attach aitieu:,thereto;

'ment embodyingmy invention in appliedpe tachment; Figure 4 1s a fragmentary vertical sectional v1ew of the lnner end ofa spark plug v Figure 2 is a plan view of the inner of the plug with the attachment shown in the preceding v1ew;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the atwith a modified form of my invention applied thereto; and a I Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the modified form of my invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in

which similar referencecharacters designate similar parts in each. of the several views, and i l more particularly to Figures 1 to. 3, inclusive, my invention 1s shownras comprising an element designated generally at E- which in the present instance is formed from a single sheet of bendable and slightly resilient metal to provide a'split sleeve or. cylinder 10 with its diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the pocket 11. formed in the inner end of the, shell 12 of a conventional spark plug S Adjacent one end the sleeve 1.0 is slit transversely from its open'side, asv indicated at 13, to prov dea pairof tongues T and T,

ed points of a plug- The tongues are bent a'meter of the inner end of the sleeve, to provide shoulders at the outer sideof the latter, as clearly shown at 14, in Figure 2, while their free ends are curled, inwardly towards s0 which are adapted to function asthe ground outwardly from each other beyond the di- L each other as at 15 andbeveled at 16, so as to I provide a pair of knife edged points arranged 1n spaced relation.

In the application spark plug S, the conventional grounded point 17 of the plug is bent outwardly a sufficient distance to permit one end of the sleeve .10 after being? slightly contracted from its normal position'to be inserted into the pocket 11; ,Thesleeve is now pushed into thepocket [until the tongues T and T engage the inner ,end of theshell 12, inwhich position the tongues will be disposed opposite the usual central .or. insulated point'18 which extends through fthe conventional porcelain sleeve 19 and projects beyond the inner end of the shell. It will be clear thatunder its expansive action the sleeve is frictionally held againstmovei'nent in the pocket 11 and should it be desiredto positively secure the-sleeve to the, shell the conventional greunded point of my attachment to the of oilreadily drips oli', While because-of the fact that they a ecomparativel'y free from.

free ends of the tongues 'I and T maynow be adjusted with respect to the central point 18 to provide the necessary spark gap and it will be noted thatdue to their curved formthey will be affected by the temperature oithe engine to the extent-thatt'hey will expand upon an increase in temperature and v niove outwardly or away from each other and from'the central point 18 so as to increase the spark gap, While upon a decrease inteniprature the tongues contract and close to the point- 18 so as to reduce the spark gap. The advantageof a variable spark gap -de-' pendent 'ii-pon the heat oft the engine will be readily apparent when it is understood that upon initially adjusting the spark gap it can. be niacl'e less than is the usual prac- "t c-e sa as to facilita'te startingof the engine Whenthe voltage of thebattery, during turning over of the engine is low, and that as the engine heats up thegap will. automatically increase, thus coniorming to the needs of the engine when running. Furthermore, due to the vertical position of thetongues with respect to the plug, any undue accumulation the water cooledportion of the engine at the inner end of the plug, they become sufiicrently heated to cause any lilmof oilthat *may adhere'to them to be burned off. I

, It will be understood hen it is considered that the element'E is formed from a fiat sheet of 'rnetal, thatupon bending the toiigues T and T" into the curved shape sh own in Figure E2, the metal at the inner side of a medial line drawn longitudinally through the-thickness-ofthe tongues will be slightly compressed While thatto the'outer side will bes'lightly stretched. "Becausejof this fact itwill be readily apparent that with the tongues adjusted relatively close to the central point 18 so as to facilitate easy starting of the en gine'under low battery voltage, the increase in tern erature as the engine warmsup will expan the-tongues and to a greater extent atthe inner sides of the, tongues than at the outer, due to the compressed or denser state of the metal at the inner sides. The tongues increase the spark' gap, and ivhile this move-' gment off the tongues is relatively'small, it is nevertheless suiiicient to V cited the necessary increase so that a fats i-rkof maximum heat intensity will 'be obtained for operating the engine. Accordingly as the temperature de creases the tongues will tend to assume the shape to which they were originallybent to" 7 thereby decrease the sparkg ap. It Will thus be clear that the tongues function-automatically inrespons'e to variations in temperature claims.

to vary the spark gap so that the desired fat spark Will conditions: 7 p 1 v In addition, it Will be. clear that the tongues also confine and materially preheat the portion ofthe fuel charge to be ignited, thus greatly accelerating the progress of combusi be obtained under all operative o tion under -alillCOlIdltilOHS of operation, and

especially during the pick up When the 1nixtur'e ispooran'd there is more time available forthis purpose. 7 x v ,7

Referring to F'gures'. and'fi; 'Ihave herein shown a ni'odiiied form of attachment' to he used; in engines wherein it is not desired :to preheat theportion of the eharge to' beignited. In this" form, the at-tachinent'conr prises a split sleeve 20 provided with ade pending extension 21 at a point oppositeto its'open side, the free end of the extension being curled as at '22 to clam-pingly engage a fshort length of 'Wl'IG 23having' it's ends curled inwardly towards each other and arranged in spaced relation, as is clearly'shown at 24 in Figure 5. V v In the application of 'the'sleeveflQb to plug, its larger end is contracted and "the i sleeve forced into the pocketll until. its

smaller endis substantially flush ith thev inner end of the shell :12, in which position the wire 23 "will be arranged with its curled endsQ l disposed at opposite sides of theceni 'tral' point 18;

v The curled "ends are now adjusted with respect to the central point '18 to provide the required spark gap and respond to changes in temperature n the same manner as thetongues T and T; Itdesirable,.-the

WireQS may he welded to the sleeve 20; 1

The conventional grounded point "17 may be utilized topositively prevent displacement of the sleeve 20by bendingi'ts'free'end over the end oft he eXtensionjQO, ands-in the event l;

that the point' h'as-been brokenoifthe inner Wall of the she'llcan be upset at oneor-more points by 'a suitable tool (not shown)' to engage the sleeve and prevent its displacement.

By reference to Figures 2'a-nd aawiu be clear that by the provision of the split sleeves 10 and 20', they are capable of being constricted or expanded to accommodate difi'erent diameters 01 the pockets l1,'sotha't the attach ment can be, readily applied to "pings of re- Y spect-ively' {ifferen't sizes and types to; snugly 1 p I I v r V fit within the pockets thereof.- I will thus tend to straighten out and thereby Although I have hereinshovvn and de scribed only'tW'o forms otattachment for spark plugs embodying my" invention, itf'is a be understood that variouschanges and modifications;'may beina'de therein Without I claim as my invention 2 1. 'An attachment for spark plugs compris ing a sleeve split longitudina]ly vand slit transversely from its open side iadjaeent one end to provide a pair of tongues, said tongues being curved outwardly from each other to provide shoulders at the outer side of the sleeve and having their free ends curled inwardly towards each other so as to be arranged in spaced confronting relation.

2. As an article of manufacture, an attachment for spark plugs formed from a single sheet of bendable metal to provide a sleeve split longitudinally throughoutits length and slit transversely from its open side adjacent one of its ends to provide a pair of companion tongues, said tongues extending transversely of said sleeve and curved outwardly from each other with their free ends curled inwardly towards each other and arranged in spaced relation.

3. An attachment for spark plugs comprising a sleeve split longitudinally and provided with an extension at one end disposedoppositely to its open side, meansadapted to constitute the ground point of the plug comprising a single length of wire bent into C- shaped form, the free endof said extension being curled to clampingly engage and support said wire intermediate its ends in a posi tion substantially transversely of the length of the sleeve.

4. An attachment for spark plugs comprising a sleeve split longitudinally, and a single length of wire in the form of a C secured to the sleeve so as to extend transversely of one end thereof.

V 5. An attachment for spark plugs comprising a tubular element adapted to be inserted into the shell of the plug for electrical connection with the shell, and a tongue on the member shaped to move laterally and in a plane transversely of the length of the tubular element in response to changes in temperature. a

6. An attachment for spark plugs comprising a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the shell of a spark plug, the sleeve being split longitudinally and slit transversely from its open side adjacent one end to provide a tongue, the tongue being curved outwardly to project beyond the outside diameter of the sleeve to thereby provide a shoulder adapted to engage the end of the spark plug shell so as to definitely limit the position of the sleeve inwardly of the shell, ,the'free end of the tongue being curved inwardly.

7. An attachment for spark plugs as embodied in claim 6 wherein the sleeve, when inserted into the spark plug shell with said shoulder engagingthe end'of the shell, has

its outer end so positioned with respect to a I bendable electrode on the shell, that the eleo trode is adapted to be bent over the outer end. of the sleeve to thus co-operate with said tubular element, when inserted into the shell 0f the plug, having itsou'ter end so positioned with respect to a bendable electrode on the plug that the electrode is adapted to be bent.

over the outer end of the element to thus positively secure the latter against outward displacement from the shell.

DAVID L. WINTERS. 

